(みず)かき

みずかき
noun
webbing (of webbed feet or hands)
1. webbing (between the toes or fingers of an animal)
The membrane of skin stretched between the toes or fingers of water animals such as frogs, ducks, and otters, used to push against the water when swimming.
カエルには(みず)かきがある。
Frogs have webbed feet.
アヒルは(みず)かきで(みず)をかいて(およ)ぐ。
Ducks swim by paddling the water with their webbed feet.
(あし)(ゆび)(あいだ)にある(みず)かきのおかげで、(はや)(およ)ぐことができる。
Thanks to the webbing between their toes, they can swim quickly.

Literally "water paddle," from (みず) (water) + かき (paddling, from ()く). The skin membrane between the digits of aquatic animals. The word for the diving equipment for humans is normally フィン(ふぃん) or (あし)ひれ, not (みず)かき.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • (みず)かきがある: to have webbed feet
  • (みず)かきのついた(あし): webbed feet
  • (ゆび)(あいだ)(みず)かき: the webbing between the digits